ludvik



4, (No Model.)

O. LUDVIK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

y2 sheetssheen 1.

Patented Nov, 27, 1888. f' ,if f

INVENTOR: j@ M venl/wf BY uuu/Mv i A ATTORNEYS.

2 sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.)

o. LUDVIK;

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Nav. 27, 1888.`

INVENTOR i Uu/m WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PUERS. PokrLillwgrapher. Washnglm. l)4 C.

NNE@ ATES CHARLES LUDVIK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,567, dated November 2'7, 1888.

Application filed February il, 1888. Serial No. 202,722. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be` it known that l', CHARLES LUDVIK, of Brooklyn, in the county oi' Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. l

This invention relates to an improvement in rotary engines in which a winged piston revolves in a cylindrical steam or iiuid chamber having abutment-chambers opening into opposite sides thereof, in which rotary duid` abutinents are arranged to alternately cut off the annular space around the pistou and to be retracted to permit the piston-wing to pass.

The object of my improvement is to pro vide simple and efficient means for reversing the engine and to lighten the construction, and thus reduce the friction of the working parts without affecting their strength and durability.

The invention consists of certain novel combinations of parts and details of construction hereinafter fully described, and distinctly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a rotary engine embodying myimprovement on the line :v x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the saine. Fig. Il is a cross-sectional elevation on the line ze, Eig. l. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the rotary abutments and its driving-gear detached. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the piston.

The engine-casing A is constructed with a cylindrical pistoirchauiber, E, having heads C and approximately semi-cylindrical abutment-chambers D opening into opposite sides of the piston-chamber.

Within the piston-chamber B a piston, E, is mounted to revolve centrally on and with a piston-shaft, G, journaled in the chamberheads G.

The body of the pistou E is made hollow of opposite heads, H, and a cylindrical shell, I, rigidly connecting them, and said shell is formed with a segmental opening, J, through and at thc ends of which diverging pressureheads K project to or nearly to the cylindrical wall of the piston-chamber and are connected at their extremities by a cylindrical segment, L, forming the piston-wing F.

Each pressure-head K is made in two sections,of which the outer section laps over and is secured adjustably to the inner section by a screw-and-slot connection, K, so that the outer bearing-segment. L, can be properly adj usted with reference to the cylindrical wall of the piston-chamber to completely divide the annular space around the piston body while rotating freely in the said space.

A spring packing plate, L, conforming nearly to the hearing-segment Lof the pistonwing, is secured transversely at its middle thereto by a tight joint, L2, and its opposite free ends, which are pressed yieldingly against the chamber-wall, have inturned ilanges L3 projecting past the ends of the bearing-segment L to prevent the ends from catching on any obstruction and to better hold the plate in place.

In the abutment-chambers D are mounted to revolve hollow abutments M, each formed of an approximately seintcylindrical shell, M, corresponding heads, M2, and a rigid U- shaped brace, M3, having its closed end secured to the interior of the shell hl and its arms to the inside of the opposite heads M2, so as to be both light and of ample strength.

The abutments M are fixed centrally on shafts N, journaled, preferably, in adjustable bearings N', held on the engine-casing and revolved from the piston-shaft G,which may be used as the driving shaft, by outside gear- Wheels, O.

The abutment-revolving gear is so arranged that the semi-cylindrical abutments will alternately rotate in contact with the cylindrical piston-body, so as to cut oif the annular space around the same and be retracted within the abutment-chambers during the passage of the piston-Wing thereby.

The opposite heads H of the piston-body are 'formed on their outer faces with concentric grooves l? P', and the corresponding chamber-heads with fluid-openings Q Q', registering continually therewith. The pistonheads H are also formed with radial grooves IOO R R', leading outward from the respective circular grooves P P and opening on opposite` sides of the pistonwving.

The openings Q Q in the chamber-heads serve alternately either as admission or exhaust openings, and with them are connected, respectively, pipes S S, provided with threeway cocks T T and branch pipes U U, connected to the extra ways thereof.

The main pipes S S may be both connected with a steam or other Huid power supply, and the branch pipes U U with an exhaust pipe or condenser. Then when it is desired to run the engine in *theV direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. l the cock T is turned to connect the pipe S with the power-supply and to close the branch exhaust-pipe U, while the cock T/ is turned to cut off the pipe S and connect the same with the branch exhaust-pipe U. The live steam or fluid will then pass through the pipe S and head-opening Q into the piston-head grooves P and R, and thence into the annular chamberspace at the left of the piston-wing, and, reacting upon the left hand abutment M, will drive the piston-wing and piston to the right, while the exhaust steam at the right ofthe piston-Wing will pass outward through the piston-grooves Pand R, head-openings Q', pipe S', and branch exhaustpipe U. To reverse the engine, the cocks T T 'are both reversed, when the live Huid will pass to the right of the piston-wing through the pipe S and passages previously used for the exhaust and the dead fluid out through the pipe S and passages previously used for the admission, thereby causing the piston to revolve in the opposite direction.

Having thus described rnyinvention,whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A piston for a rotary engine having a Wing formed of two radially-projecting inner head-sections, outer head-sections lapping over and adjustable radially on the inner head-sections, and a cylindrical bearing-segment carried by the outer head-sections, substantially as described.

2. A piston for a rotary engine having a wing, the outer bearingface of which is cylindrical, anda spring packing-plate,conforming approximately to said bearing face, secured medially thereto and provided with inturned end iianges projecting over the ends of the bearing-face, substantially as described.

3. A rotary piston constructed of two heads rigidly connected by a cylindrical shell having a lateral opening, pressure-heads diverging radially from the center of the heads through the shell-opening, and a cylindrical bearing segment rigidly connecting the extremities of said heads, substantially as described. Y

4. A rotary abutment for a rotary engine constructed of an approximately semi-cylindrical shell having corresponding heads, and a U-shaped brace having its closed end attached to the interior of the shell and its arms attached to the inside of the heads, substantially as described.

CHARLES LUDVIK.

Witnesses:

EDWARD SrRonL, LoUIs J. K. HEIL. 

